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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24267298">Sundown 勿忘草</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shianhygge/pseuds/Shianhygge'>Shianhygge</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Shian's Compilation of Final Fantasy VII [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff and Angst, No Beta, We Die Like Men, how does one tag</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:20:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,992</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24267298</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shianhygge/pseuds/Shianhygge</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Short Story</p><p>Reader is a worker in Shinra HQ, who attracts Reno's attention. They get to know one another. Plain and Simple.</p><p>Genre: Romance and Angst (what did you expect, I'm a habitual angst writer)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Reno (Compilation of FFVII)/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Shian's Compilation of Final Fantasy VII [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1751725</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>102</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>AN: I’ve been wanting to write a Reno one shot, but never really managed to get my lazy ass into gear. This is a long one (though at this point, I’m just known for really long story posts... let me know if you think it’s a good thing or a bad thing). I was debating splitting it into parts, but you all know how bad I am with posting updates to any of my fics written in parts.</p><p>Was hoping to get it to 10,000 words, but I’m around 2,200 short :P</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A heavy and tired sigh escaped your lips as you continued to read through the various reports scattered upon the table before you, scribbling down information into your work notebook that would act as relevant evidence to support your proposal for several structural upgrades to the plates. Though it was a concern that your boss, Reeve Tuesti, had brought up during various board meetings, it seemed that the executives of Shinra Electric Power Company would do nothing without a formal report containing sufficient evidence to support immediate action.</p><p>Already over worked from his other projects, Reeve had personally asked you to oversee the project proposal. As a resident of the Sector 5 Slums, you felt that it was your duty to do everything you could to make life for your fellow under city residents better. So, despite the fact that you would be working on the project alone, you accepted Reeve’s task.</p><p>Now, sitting at a corner table on the Relaxation Floor, you were almost regretting taking on the task alone. Outside the large windows overlooking Midgar, the sun had long since set, the city lights and mako lighting up the dark space below in a sea of various colors. Most Shinra employees had left the building hours ago, yet here you were, still working, dinner purchased from the cafeteria sitting off to the side and half gone.</p><p>After reading another set of reports, you paused in your scribbling to slam your head non too gently on the cafeteria table, “You’d think with all the complaints we’ve had about falling metal pieces from the plate almost killing slum residents, that the company would immediately do something.” No one responded to your muttering. Not that you expected an empty space to provide commentary to your misery and exasperation. So, you stayed in that position, debating whether to call it a night so that you could catch the last train home.</p><p>“Well, color me surprised, I didn’t think any of you pencil pushers liked staying after hours.” Just when you were about to relax, a sly and cocky voice decided to interrupt your solitude.</p><p>Jolting up with a twitch of your eye, you glared at the redhead who approached your corner table, suit and dress shirt unbuttoned and showing off an ample amount of chest. Had you not lived in the Sector 5 Slums for your entire life, you probably wouldn’t have recognized the man as a Turk. Besides, the people at Shinra liked to gossip. Red hair pulled into a weird ferret tail looking ponytail, goggles resting on the crown of his head, red marks under his eyes, and a severe need of a slap to the face… yeah, there was no doubt in your mind that the man steadily approaching your table was Reno of the Turks… and the Turk second in command.</p><p>Rolling your eyes, you sat up and began to straighten out the papers on the table, putting them into a pile to slip neatly into your briefcase. “Just my luck. The entire cafeteria is empty, Turk. Why are you bothering me?”</p><p>A little hostile, but you couldn’t help it. Having grown up watching these strange men in suits harass Aerith… you didn’t exactly have a kind opinion of them. Plus… they were unwaveringly loyal dogs to Shinra, something that didn’t sit well with you.</p><p>Reno feigned a hurt expression, placing a hand upon his chest, “Why the hostility? It was an honest question.” The redheaded Turk smirked and lifted his hand to raise his pinky, “Pinky swear.”</p><p>Reigning in your frustration, you huffed and propped your head upon a raised hand, closing your eyes in an attempt to calm down. “Yeah… yeah… Sorry.” After inhaling and exhaling for a few seconds, and listening as a chair was dragged out from the other side of the table, you opened your eyes to stare tiredly at the now seated Turk. “Uh… what are you doing?”</p><p>“Keeping you company, of course.” The cocky smirk widened as Reno leaned back and propped his feet upon the table, narrowly missing your half finished dinner.</p><p>Reaching a hand out to grab the remains of your dinner, you quietly started to finish said meal off, “Uh…huh… sure. I buy that.” You remarked sarcastically, eyes not leaving Reno’s form. “So Reno of the Turks decides to just randomly pop on by to keep a Shinra office worker company as they work overtime… sure…”</p><p>The grin didn’t falter as his blue eyes wandered to observe you, “It would seem so.”</p><p>“Right.” You muttered, finishing the last of your meal before standing up with your bag and tray, “Sorry to cut this short, but I’ve got a train to catch.” You weren’t sorry, but you still called out to him as you walked away, “See ya, I guess.” Hopefully not.</p><p>“You can bet on it!” Reno called back to you, watching as you threw away your trash and left the Relaxation Floor. As the doors slid close, you caved and turned around to look back at Reno, meeting his gaze just as the doors closed. Why did you feel like that was more than a promise?</p><p>…</p><p>…</p><p>…because it was.</p><p>The two days after were supposed to have been your days off. Yeah, perhaps you still had to structure your formal proposal a little more, but at least you were surrounded by fellow under city residents instead of Shinra employees… yeah, no, that was perhaps a little harsh of you. Not all Shinra employees were like the Turks and executives. But you were still bitter at how content the employees were with this company. It’s sickening.</p><p>When you left your home across from Leaf House on your second day off, you had fully intended to spend the day stocking up on groceries and helping either Aerith or Miss Folia. What you didn’t expect was to run into a duo of Turks when you stepped over the bridge to Aerith’s house. The duo had stopped to stand just outside of Aerith’s house, clearly speaking to one another and absolutely intending to enter the residence. The moment you’d cleared the bridge and walked into sight, you paused with wide eyes and gingerly took a step back, hoping to walk away without drawing any of their attention towards you.</p><p>You didn’t want to be seen outside work. Much less while you were wearing the sundress that Aerith had insisted you get for yourself. It was girly and feminine, and not at all professional. But still, Aerith had asked you to bring her flower baskets back home while she helped look for the Leaf House kids, who had all gone on patrol again.</p><p>Unfortunately, the bridge creaked under your foot, and two pairs of eyes were suddenly turned to stare you. “Uh…” you faltered for a moment before raising a hand in greeting, “Hi?” The end of the word pitched up into a squeak and you suddenly wanted to dive off the bridge and escape.</p><p>Recognition appeared in a familiar redhead’s eyes, “Pencil pusher! Didn’t think I’d see you here of all places!” The bald man with the shades coughed and glanced towards his coworker with raised brows.</p><p>Growling indignantly, you stomped a foot and approached the two Turks, “Don’t call me that!”</p><p>“And why not? You never gave me your name.” Reno pouted dramatically, “How’s it fair that you have mine, but I don’t know yours?”</p><p>Your expression doesn’t budge the slightest, “It’s Y/N. I work in the Urban Development Department. And I know yours because there’s only one redheaded Turk that draws in so much gossip.”</p><p>That infuriating smirk was back on Reno’s face as he pat the taller man’s shoulder roughly, “Ya hear that, Rude? The people know me.” Rude looked like he wanted to say something, if the slightest twitch of the brow and parting of the lips was any indicator. Unfortunately, the stoic looking Turk didn’t get a chance to respond before his partner opened his mouth again. “So… Y/N, huh? Cute name, cute face… it’s a wonder that I haven’t seen you in HQ before yesterday.” The statement seemed innocent enough, except for the strange look in his eyes.</p><p>For Shinra’s version of secret service, you already knew where this line of inquiry was leading to. So you stared at Reno dispassionately, “Yup, it’s an absolute wonder that a Turk such as you, who has  to work outside the building most days, has never seen my face in the five years that I’ve been employed at Shinra. It’s not as if I’m just a faceless grunt among a few thousand office workers who are also cooped up in their offices during the work day.” Rolling your eyes, you continued forward, practically bulldozing your way past Reno when he didn’t move aside with his partner. “Now, if you’ll excuse me,” You waltzed up the front steps, raising the weaved basket in your hand, “I’ve got a basket to drop off. If you’re looking for Aerith, she’s not home, yet.”</p><p>There’s a sound of a metal baton snapping to full length behind you, “If you hurt her…”</p><p>Sighing in annoyance, you turned to glare at Reno, who seemed to look like he was going to charge at you with the stun baton. Rude, likewise, was in a combat ready position. “And why the hell would I hurt her?” You hissed, propping a hand on your waist. “Don’t just come to random conclusions. I’m simply here as a favor to her, she’s in the town helping Leaf House.” Waving your hand in a shooing motion, you turned to open the front door, “You Turks are all about the mission, right? So, go!”</p><p>Maybe you shouldn’t have been so antagonistic… maybe you shouldn’t have turned around. Because the next thing you know, your arm is yanked backwards, and you’re suddenly pinned facedown to the front porch floor, arms restrained behind you and the painfully tingly end of the baton jabbed into your back. The scream that left your lips was one of outrage, fear, and pain. “What the hell!” You cry out, tears in your eyes as you try to struggle.</p><p>“Y/N!” The front door of the Gainsborough household pulled open to reveal Elmyra, who cried out in horror at the scene before her. Before long, the blonde woman had settled on shoving Reno off you, “Get off of her! Just what do you think you’re doing?!” Startled into falling off of you, Reno merely stared wide eyed at the enraged woman, who gestured for you to run as she laid into the jerk with her words.</p><p>With Reno no longer pinning you down, your limbs were able to finally take on a more natural position, though the stabbing pain from having them forced into an unnatural position still remained even as you clambered to your feet and sprinted away from the house. Rude didn’t bother to stop you, going so far as to step way off the path to let you through. You didn’t look back as you ran, not even stopping to greet Aerith as she crossed the wooden bridge.</p><p>When you were safe in your shabby second floor apartment, you did everything you could to get rid of the pain in your limbs, stretching them out and massaging them.</p><p>No such luck.</p><p>The pain remained, following you into the next day as you prepared to head back to work. Luckily for you, your job mostly consisted of office work. Signing and arranging paperwork, project reports, and other desk work.</p><p>Unluckily for you, you were the only person in the department with your first name. When you returned to your office from lunch, rubbing an aching limb, Reno awaited you, leaning against your desk. The moment you saw him, you paused and walked out of the office intent on avoiding the Turk that had caused you bodily harm.</p><p>From behind, Reno sprinted after you, “Y/N! Buddy! Wait up!”</p><p>“I don’t see you. I don’t hear you. You are absolutely, definitely not following me right now.” You muttered, not turning your head from its fixed position staring straight and down. <em>If I can just get my ass to Reeve’s office, he’ll leave me alone. If I can just get my slow ass, in these stupid heels, to Reeve’s office, he’ll leave me alone.</em></p><p>Reno, for his part, had no problems keeping up with you, catching up and strolling along beside you, making you growl inwardly in frustration. “Y/N, c’mon. I’m sorry about yesterday. Slow down, you’re going to-”</p><p>An uneven part of the carpet failed to catch your notice until your foot caught it, sending you sprawling toward. <em>Ah shit. This is gonna hurt.</em> You muttered to yourself, bracing yourself for impact and closing your eyes… only for the impact to come sooner than expected… and less painful than you expected… <em>I’m still upright?</em> You questioned yourself, opening your eyes to find yourself being held up by Reno, face practically buried in his open shirt and his arms gently holding onto both of your arms.</p><p>“See.” The cocky expression was gone now. Only mild annoyance remained as he made sure you could stand on your own two feet, roughly kicking at the uneven carpet in an effort to smooth it down.</p><p>“I… thanks.” You finished lamely, slightly unsure as to what had just happened, but glad that you were saved a few bruises… and probably a more severe injury to your limbs.</p><p>Reno raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, “Can we talk now?”</p><p>You wanted to say no, the memory of being pinned down and tasered still fresh in your mind, but by the Planet, the jerk had just saved you from further injury, hadn’t he? The heavy sigh and slump of your shoulder betrayed your reluctance even as you agreed to speak to the redheaded Turk. “Yeah, fine.”</p><p>The Turk second in command seemed surprised that you’d agreed, a breathy and relieved “Great” leaving his mouth as he followed your lead back to your small office.</p><p>As you walked the short distance back to your office, you kept a bit of distance from Reno whilst attempting to block out the stares from your fellow colleagues. <em>I can practically hear the gossip spreading now. Oh, did you hear? Y/N’s in a relationship with Reno. Oh, Y/N probably got in trouble with the company if the Turks are investigating them. </em>The thoughts only worsened when you entered your office and Reno closed the door behind him. <em>And that’s my cue to put as much distance as possible between us.</em> You thought to yourself, shuffling to stand behind the desk. <em>Yes, because a waist high wooden structure is enough protection against a Turk…smart. Reallll smart.</em></p><p>“You know, I’m not going to hurt you, right?” Reno looked slightly put out and frustrated at the fact that you had immediately shuffled behind your desk. And you had to hand it to him… despite his reputation as a bit of spazz, his observation skills were fitting for a member of the Turks.</p><p>“Tell that to my poor arms.” You spat, rolling your shoulders in another unsuccessful attempt to alleviate the pain that remained from yesterday.</p><p>Reno deflates a little when you wince in pain, and lightly scratches his cheek. “Yeah… about that… my bad.”</p><p>“Your bad…” you mimicked back at Reno with a hint of disbelief. “Heck yeah it’s your bad! I mean what the hell! What kind of a reason did you have for assaulting a civilian!?”</p><p>“That’s uh… we were assigned to look after Aerith… and the way you were acting yesterday… I thought you did something to her.” The explanation that came pouring out of the redheaded Turk’s mouth was lacking, but you let him continue because oh boy did the man sound like a certified walking mess. “And um… I reacted too harshly… which is totally my bad. And I know that’s no excuse, and I’ve already gotten an earful from Elmyra, Rude, and Tseng, so… what I’m saying is… I’m sorry.”</p><p>…<em>he looks like a kicked puppy.</em> You muttered to yourself, heaving a sigh as you sat down at your desk and allowed your posture to relax just the slightest. “Fine, apology accepted, but my shoulders still hurt like I got trampled by a fiend. How the hell do I get it to stop?” Apology vaguely accepted, you just wanted him to stop giving you that look.</p><p>“I uh… figured that you’d still be in pain.” Reno winced before sheepishly slipping a hand into his pocket and pulling out a beautiful glowing green materia, “It might be overkill, but casting Cure will get rid of the ache-ah… if you’re okay with it?”</p><p>You wondered offhandedly what Elmyra had said to Reno for his behavior to have shifted so drastically towards you. Look at the Turk now, you figured that there was no harm in befriending the man. Besides, you probably needed more outgoing friends anyways. “If it’ll get rid of the ache, go ahead, Reno.”</p><p>The smile on his face was almost boyish as his arm glowed faintly, casting the healing spell on you. “One full body stress reliever coming right up!” <em>Hm… maybe he’s not that bad after all. </em>The spell was like a wave of relief, not only alleviating the pain from yesterday, but also taking away the tension from months and months of stress. “Feeling better?”</p><p>The groan of relief that escaped your lips was probably enough answer for Reno as you stretched, a smile on your lips appearing at the redheaded Turk’s chuckle. “Much better, thank you.”</p><p>A moment passed between the two of you until the silence was broken by the sound of Reno’s phone. You couldn’t see the caller ID, but by the way he picked up almost immediately, you guessed that it was his boss, Tseng. “Hey-” The redheaded man was cut off from his greeting as he listened, “Yeah, I just finished…” Blue eyes met yours as he mouth, ‘got to go.’</p><p>Reno started to move just as you gave him a farewell salute, smirking when the Turk simply winked back at you before the door to your office closed.</p><p>Although you initially didn’t expect the day to turn out so well, you went back to work in a good mood. <em>I guess being friendly to Reno won’t be such a bad thing.</em> As the day passed, your mind absentmindedly wondered when you would see him again.</p><p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">December 11th… </span>
  </strong>
</p><p>Twenty-four days and seven hours later</p><p>“Oho, staying late again?”</p><p>A familiar voice broke you out of your furious scribbling while you once again stayed late to progress further in the piles of maintenance reports on the plates. And while you were tired from staring at black and white letters all day, you pushed aside the cranky attitude to at least smile and greet Reno as he approached your usual corner table. “Hi, Reno.” You raise a brow at the drink tray in his hands and gesture for him to sit wherever. “Late night for you, too?”</p><p>Reno shrugged and took the seat just to your left, setting the tray down on a spot free of paperwork, “Turks are always on call.” He handed over a covered paper cup, “Coffee?”</p><p>“Oh boy, yes please.”  You beamed ecstatically when the redhead handed you the heavenly drink. “I’ve been working on this project proposal for the past… I don’t know how long… and it’s just… so much.”</p><p>Taking a sip of his own caffeinated drink, Reno took a peek at one of the files sitting on the table. “Huh… ‘Maintenance Walkways In Hazardous State of Disrepair’…’Infested with Mako Mutated Fiends’… I forgot you worked in urban development. What’s Reeve got ya doin that requires so many late nights?”</p><p>Despite his asking, Reno made no further attempts at reading the papers on the cafeteria table. Pursing your lips, you eyed the Turk second in command for a long moment, regarding him with as much suspicion as he had directed towards you nearly a month ago. It was well known throughout Shinra that the corporation had bigger goals and aspirations than to serve the people. There were many in the company that truly believed in the work that Shinra did, but as someone who had lived in the slums all your life, and one of the project leaders within Shinra’s Urban Development Division, you held no such illusions of grandeur. With the exception of Reeve, the higher ups in Shinra had no qualms of neglecting the public, only paying attention to the people beneath their feet in order to satisfy their egos and prevent rowdy citizens from forming anti-Shinra groups like AVALANCHE. Reno, a Turk, had to answer to the President and Vice President of Shinra directly, and everything they do is by the will of the two highest powers in the company. If you told Reno of the plate restoration project… would it cause a negative reaction within the company?</p><p>“If I tell you, Reno… you have to keep quiet about it.” Despite being tired, you leveled the red head with a grave stare.</p><p>Reno raised his arms and displayed his palms out in a ‘I’m harmless’ manner. “If it doesn’t have anything to do with an assassination attempt or terrorist attack, my lips are sealed.” The Turk shrugged, “And if you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to. I mostly came here to keep you caffeinated… and to ask if you wanted to grab dinner sometime?”</p><p>Well… that came out of left field.</p><p>The blush that rose to your cheeks made your embarrassment pretty clear to Reno, who hummed and leaned forward to observe you closer. “Huh… Red’s a good look on you.”</p><p>The wink that the Turk sent your way did not help you calm down. “That’s not… uh… why?” Why was Reno asking you out to dinner? You’d known each other for all of twenty something days… not that it was completely unusual for individuals your age to go on dates… if this even was a date.</p><p>“I figure you could do with a night free of worries.” Reno explained, now positioning himself to lean on the table towards you. “Plus I get to take a beautiful woman out to dinner.”</p><p>You raised a hand to stop his flirting, knowing the rumors that spread throughout the company of Reno’s flirtatious ways. “I accept, but it’s just dinner, okay? I shouldn’t stay out too late.”</p><p>The red head seemed happy that you accepted, but pouted nonetheless, “Well then… that’s boring. I was thinking of taking you out drinking with Rude and I.”</p><p>You gesture towards the paperwork all over the table, “I have to get the work done eventually, Reno.”</p><p>“Fine…” the sigh that left Reno sounded more like a whine than acceptance. The mischievous smirk did nothing to ease your concerns as Reno stood up to help you clean up the piles of paper and notes. “C’mon, the sooner we clean up here, the sooner we can get some grub into your growling stomach.”</p><p>“My stomach is not-” <em>Gurrrggghhh</em>… You blushed crimson when your stomach cried out for food.</p><p>“You were saying?” Reno raised a brow, mirth glinting in his blue eyes as you tried to act nonchalantly.</p><p>“…” Snatching the last of the paperwork on the table and shoving it into your bag, you sniffed in embarrassment, “We’re dropping this stuff off in my office before we go anywhere.”</p><p>The red headed Turk actually had the audacity to smirk and salute you.</p><p>… Twenty minutes later, you found yourself in a car heading towards Sector Eight… Although Reno had advertised the outing as a dinner between just the two of you, the two of you somehow found yourselves seated in the back seats of the vehicle while Rude drove and Tseng sat in shotgun. Glancing to the side at Reno, he seemed at a loss for words for once, blue eyes glaring sulkingly at the back of Tseng’s head.</p><p>“So, Y/N, as I understand it, you work closely with Reeve Tuesti?” Tseng asked, his eyes meeting yours in the rearview mirror despite its angle.</p><p>Somehow, you felt like you were about to get interrogated by Reno’s ‘parents,’ if the groan of exasperation from the red head beside you wasn’t enough of a give away.</p><p>“Um… I would say closely enough. I’m one of his project leaders, but even that title can be grossly overestimated.” The explanation leaves your lips before you can so much as think, “Because I work on projects that focus on the slums, most of my time is spent doing research and putting together proposals for projects that urgently need to be addressed.” <em>Not that any of my proposals have been accepted thus far.</em> You left the last statement unsaid, and your bitterness at the company unheard. Still, the discontent must have shown on your face, as Tseng started to speak again.</p><p>“Do you not like your job?” Such a simple question, but not something you could answer simply. The pleasant smile on the Turk commander’s face, which you glimpsed from the side view mirror, told you that he was well aware that you would have to expand your answer.</p><p>Wincing, you turned your gaze away to stare out the window as the car pulled off the highway. “I don’t dislike it, no… but I took the job as project leader in order to help make a difference for my community. But every project proposal that I’ve drawn up and presented has been turned down by the people that have a say in the company.” The sneer that started to form froze before smoothing into a less intense expression as you took in a deep breath and exhaled. “Sorry. Forget I said anything.”</p><p>“If you only wanted to help your community, then why take a job at Shinra? And why didn’t you simply quit?” Tseng was prodding at you, knowing that you knew what he was doing.</p><p>“Uh, Boss? Bit of a touchy subject, yeah?” Reno protested, sending very clear glares at Tseng’s way.</p><p>The Turk commander’s lips twitched in the slightest of smiles, “My apologies, Y/N. I didn’t mean to press you.”</p><p><em>Didn’t mean to press me, my ass! What the hell is this? Another round of ‘Y/N is a suspicious person?’</em> You thought with a lot of snark, outwardly shrugging, “You Turks certainly do live up to your reputation.” When Tseng rose a brow and Reno stared at your questioningly, you elaborated with another shrug, “The questioning… the false pretenses… you guys are very good at what you do, but…” Sighing, you shook your head and decided to shut your mouth, “Nevermind. Forget it. So long as you’re good to Elmyra and Aerith, I don’t give a damn if you guys restrain me and take me in for questioning.”</p><p>“…I thought I already said sorry for that!” Reno pouted, a wounded expression on his face.</p><p>The car stopped in front of a restaurant, but you were no longer hungry. Glancing down at your watch, you feigned a sigh, “Well, looks like I won’t be joining you guys for dinner tonight. I just realized that I had something to do in Sector 5.”</p><p>“Wait… hold on-”</p><p>“Would you like us to give you a lift?” Rude offered, cutting Reno off from his protests.</p><p>Bowing your head, you made to get out of the vehicle. “No, thank you. I appreciate the offer, but I’m fine taking the train back. I’m sorry for the trouble. I’ll see you three at work tomorrow.”</p><p>With that, you slid out of the car, shutting the door with as little force necessary before strolling down the street towards the train station. After turning the corner, you paused and sighed, shaking your head at the dinner plans. If you were being honest, you were actually quite excited to have dinner with Reno. He had turned out to be more thoughtful and intuitive than you had first pinned him as. <em>Maybe we can have dinner alone next time. </em>Suddenly hopeful, you resumed your gait towards the train station. If you hurried, you could catch the next train back and be in time to eat at the restaurant around the corner from your home.</p><p>“Y/N!” A familiar voice called out to you, accompanied by the sound of sprinting dress shoes, just as you were about to enter the train platform.</p><p>“Reno?!” You stared at the red head as he sprinted the last few meters to stop in front of you, perplexed and worried that he’d run all the way to the train station. The people sharing the train platform stared at the pair of you even as the train pulled into the station. “I… um… thought you were going to have dinner with Rude and Tseng? Did you need something?” You asked, glancing towards the train as it opened its doors.</p><p>“Y-you…” Reno gasped, clearly panting for breath despite the fact that he was supposed to be used to this. “You don’t work tomorrow.”</p><p>Tilting your head to the side, you admired Reno for a moment, pleased with his listening skills during the times that you spoke. “You’re right. No, I don’t.” You watched as the passengers all started boarding the train. “Reno… I have to catch this train, what is it?”</p><p>“Let me walk you home!” the red headed Turk suggested, straightening up and gently taking your wrist in his.</p><p>“Wait… What?” <em>What the hell-</em></p><p>“It’ll be fun.” Reno didn’t give you much of a choice, as he led you aboard the train, careful not to tug on your arm too roughly. Once the doors slid close, the red head smirked at your completely baffled expression, “I promised you a dinner date, didn’t I?”</p><p>Your turned red as you stuttered, completely conscious of the stares incoming from the other passengers. “But what about Rude and Tseng? How are you going to get home after?”</p><p>Reno grinned, “They’re the ones who ruined our plans in the first place, so of course I’m ditching ‘em. And if I need to head home, I’ll just head back with the infantrymen stationed in Sector 5. So don’t worry.” Then, as if realizing that your face was growing more and more red because he was now holding your hand and had moved just a breath away, Reno coughed and backed up. Letting go of your hand, the embarrassed Turk raised a hand to scratch his cheek in the same nervous tic that you’d noticed before. “Anyways, let’s find a seat, okay? It’s been a long day for you… so if you want to take a breather…” Reno’s voice trailed off as the two of you shuffled through the cart to find a pair of empty seats.</p><p>Once seated, you sighed and leaned back on the uncomfortable bench. “Five years ago, I was living with my parents in the Sector 7 Slums. My father was an infantryman in Shinra’s army, and my mother was just a regular housewife. Around that time, fiend attacks had mysteriously started to increase… and people started to go missing. My mother went missing one night, and my father was a part of the infantry that was sent to investigate.” The dull ache in your chest increased as you thought back to the events years ago. “Neither of the two came back, and suddenly I was alone. But… I wasn’t the only one who lost a loved one that day.”</p><p>“So, that’s when you decided to do something to help your community?” Reno muttered, having turned to pull you into a hug, “But why Shinra? The slums have neighborhood watches that you could have joined…. Oh… eh… but you don’t have to tell me if you’re not up to it.”</p><p>Leaning your head to rest on Reno’s shoulder, you chuckled, “You don’t have to worry about walking on eggshells with me, Reno. I mostly gave Tseng a hard time because he was being too nosey.”</p><p>“Well… that’s good to know.” The Turk gave a light hearted laugh of his own, relaxing in his mannerisms. “Felt like I was standing on trial for a moment there.”</p><p>Rolling your eyes, you elbowed Reno in the side lightly. “Drama queen. But anyways, after mom and dad disappeared, a SOLDIER and his protege were assigned to hunt down the fiends. Before they started their hunt, they made a point to visit all the families that lost someone from the fiends attacks. It was sweet of them, taking the time to check up on us. And it’s because of them that I decided to work at Shinra. That if those two truly believed in the company that employed them, that I would be able to make a difference if only I had those same resources.” The smile on your face turned bitter once you started to think about those two. “After three years, I found out later that both mentor and mentee were quite popular in Midgar… and that they had died.”</p><p>“I think I know the two you’re talking about.” Reno muttered, gaze taking on a far away glint. “It’s good to know that they left behind a legacy.”</p><p>“They left behind more than a legacy.” You whispered with a fond smile, “Zack’s fanclub became the inspiration for Sector 5’s neighborhood watch. They all wield wooden replicas of Angeal’s sword.”</p><p>“A new generation of heroes, huh?” Reno smirked and closed his eyes, “I bet Zack would be ecstatic.” Blue eyes suddenly meet yours, a brightness in them as Reno addressed you, “Be honest, were you part of that fanclub?”</p><p>“And if I was?” You raised a brow, glad that the tone of conversation had shifted back to something light hearted.</p><p>Reno pouted and slumped in his seat, pulling you along as he playfully whined, “Where’s my fanclub? I want groups of people singing my praises, too!”</p><p>“Now you’re just being silly.” You chided, amused by the man’s antics. When Reno continued to pout, you rolled your eyes, playing along. “Fine. Then from now on, you can count me as your first fanclub member.” You raised your head to look him in the eye, “Happy now?”</p><p>The hug tightened, but Reno stuck out his tongue in reply. “Eh… I don’t think I can handle having a fanclub. Too much noise. Nah. I’m good.”</p><p>This time, you didn’t bother holding back your strength when elbowing him.</p><p>…… Around twenty minutes later, the pair of you departed the train with the rest of its passengers, and found yourself seated at your favorite noodle restaurant in Sector 5. Although it was thirty minutes before closing, the boss and chef knew you well enough to take your orders without much of a fuss. While the food was being prepared, you and Reno swapped stories about work and random weird stories.</p><p>“-I’m serious about the doomrats! They’re always appearing in Sector 7, stealing random shit and everything! My entire childhood was spent with threats of doomrats coming to steal my toys! My friend, Eli, her entire toy house was taken when her side of the sector was overrun with the pests!” You laughed in between bites of noodles.</p><p>“But that’s nowhere near as bad as having to deal with Hojo!” Reno protested, a string of noodles slipping out of his mouth to hang against his mouth. “The guy just takes things without telling anyone and somehow it returns with a bunch of stains on it! It’s like he has no regard for anything outside of his research.”</p><p>Your brain brought up a memory of passing Professor Hojo in the hallway once, and you let out a full body shiver. “Ugh… yeah… he does give off that whole… egotistic mad scientist vibe… sometimes, I wonder what the hell is so important that we have to devote so many floors to his research lab.”</p><p>“Y/N?” Reno’s humor suddenly disappears.</p><p>You blink, startled by the change, “Yeah?”</p><p>“No matter what happens… stay away from Hojo, okay?” There’s some concern in his eyes and tone, but he doesn’t elaborate.</p><p>You don’t know how else to respond to a somber Reno than to reluctantly nod your head, “Yeah. Okay. He gives me the creeps, so that’s not a problem.”</p><p>“I mean it, Y/N. If anyone in the company tells you to bring something to Hojo, you refuse. And if it’s a higher up, you come to me first.” The intensity in his stare is startling.</p><p>“Got it, Reno.” Not knowing what to do, you reached out to lightly poke his cheek, “C’mon, I know you have your own reason to be concerned, but I work in urban development. There’s little to no chance that I would have to cross paths with Hojo. So, let’s finish our noodles and stop worrying, okay?”</p><p>Reno pauses for a brief moment, taking in a breath and letting it out, a small smile making an appearance again. “Okay. Fine.” Reaching into his pocket, Reno pulls out more than enough gil for your meal and stands up, leaving the money on the table and offering a hand to you, “Let’s getcha back home, okay? It’s gettin late.”</p><p>Trailing after the red headed Turk, you stared at his back with a questioning stare. Though you pretended like the sudden shift in attitude from Reno hadn’t alarmed you, your thoughts kept shifting to linger upon the warning that Reno had wanted to make sure you understood. <em>I feel like… something bad will happen if I don’t listen to him… </em>When Reno stopped just outside your apartment building across from Leaf House, you tilted your head to the side, “Why am I not surprised that you know where I live? That’s kind of creepy, ya know?”</p><p>Reno startled, spluttering excuses as he let go of your hand and backed up, the warmth from his palm instantly being missed. “I ugh… You know it’s my job-and I just wanted-cause Tseng’s super paranoid about people close to-I’m just gonna shut up now.” The Turk second in command stopped his muttering when he noticed the teasing glint in your eyes, “Oh, ha ha. Very funny.”</p><p>“C’mon, Reno. You think I was going to miss my chance at teasing you?” The grin on your face was infectious, prompting Reno to return your easy-going smile.</p><p>Gesturing to the two story building, Reno bowed, “I will rest easy knowing that you got home safely, my lady.”</p><p>“Oh my!” You gasped, a hand raised to rest against your chest in mock surprise, “What a gentleman!”</p><p>There was a silence before the two of you burst into laughter that was probably too loud for that time of night. From down the street, you could hear one of the residents open their window and shout, “Fer cryin out loud, would ya lovebirds shut up! People are tryin ta sleep!”</p><p>Stifling your laugh, you practically danced towards the metal stairway leading up to the second floor apartments. “I guess that’s my cue to get inside.”</p><p>Reno’s eyes glinted as he stared after you fondly, “Yeah…” There was brief pause before he spoke up again, “Hey, Y/N? Let’s go out for a proper date… maybe, tomorrow or the day after?”</p><p>“Yeah, I’d like that.” You smiled as the agreement fell from your lips without much thought except the want to get to know the man before you better. “I’ll be at my friend’s place celebrating her birthday tomorrow, but I don’t have plans for the day after.”</p><p>“Great!” Reno gasped, seemingly breathless as he took a step towards you, “I’ll pick you up at 10, then?”</p><p>“Ten works for me!” You agreed, watching the red headed Turk as he closed the distance between the two of you, closing your eyes as you expected something to happen, only to feel a hand rest on your cheek before pulling away.</p><p>Confused, you opened your eyes just in time to catch Reno’s smile as he turned away. “I don’t kiss on the first date.” A wink is sent your way as he rounds the corner, disappearing from sight. “Sweet dreams, Y/N.”</p><p>You don’t know if you want to squeal at the gesture, or punch him for leaving you hanging. Biting your bottom lip in a manner befitting anticipation, you turned to climb up the rest of the stairs with a smile, very much looking forward to the next two days.</p><p>When Reno returned to Shinra HQ for the night, Elena would make note of the stupidly happy grin on her senpai’s face… even when he was handed a datapad containing the plans for the next night’s operation.</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <strong>December 12th</strong>
  </span>
</p><p>The following night…</p><p>You grinned as you watched your friend, Selene, open up her gifts from each member of your friend group. She had just been accepted at her dream career of being a planetary conservationist, and was due to move away from Midgar tomorrow. Though her apartment was empty, you and your friends had brought enough food for the lot of you while you all celebrated and bid your goodbyes to a long time friend.</p><p>“Let us know if you meet any handsome guys where you are!” you heard someone joke, patting Selene on the back with a teasing grin. “City men aren’t romantic at all!”</p><p>“Hey! I resent that! We’re not all bad!”</p><p>“No… she’s right. We’re not romantic.”</p><p>Maybe it was the good vibes and laughter that prevented you all from noticing when the ground started shaking. Maybe you had all indulged a little too much on the alcohol. Regardless, no one was laughing when a large steel beam crashed through the apartment roof and landed on top of where Selene had been standing with her parents.</p><p>The room descended into shocked silence as all eyes stared at the metal beam…the crumbling ceiling…the limbs sticking out from under the mess of rebar, concrete, and wire…and the blood… All of your faces went pale at the realization of what happened. And then, the panic.</p><p>“Oh god!”</p><p>“Selene!”</p><p>“Someone call emergency services!”</p><p>“Help me lift this thing up!”</p><p>“So… much blood.”</p><p>Stumbling backwards, your eyes darted from the rubble to the moving bodies in the apartment before looking at the hole in the apartment ceiling. The beam could only have been from the plate… But how had it fallen? Had a piece been loose this entire time? …Had this been your fault? You were in charge of the plate maintenance project… you hadn’t read any reports about structure integrity over Sector 7… but maybe there had been something hidden. You shook your head in denial. No, the project proposal was sitting on your desk at Shinra HQ, nearly finished except for the conclusion. There had been nothing irregular about the plate above the Sector 7 slums. Not even when you’d gone personally with the inspectors to investigate.</p><p>And then, above the shouting voices and confusion within the apartment, you heard it. Helicopters and gunfire… people screaming outside.</p><p>“No…” you whimpered, eyes wide as you sprinted for the front door, throwing the latch open and ramming yourself into the metal door in your rush to get out onto the apartment balcony hallway.</p><p>Now that the door was wide open… now that you stood with a view of the Sector 7 Slums, the cacophony of screams and noises reached your ears with no problem. The plate above groaned as explosions detonated along the underside of its structure, sending larges pieces of debris crashing down like meteors upon the residential buildings below. You could see several Shinra helicopters flying away from the plate pillar, where the explosions seem to have originated from. Down in the streets below, the residents of Sector 7 scramble in different directions to avoid being crushed by the seemingly crumbling night sky.</p><p>“The plate’s falling!” You cried out to your remaining friends before making a break towards the stairway down to the ground floor, ensuring that the path was clear before waving your friends over. Just as you stepped off the stairs, another massive explosion rumbled violently from above you, the sheer volume of the noise popping your ears and throwing off your balance. A random civilian ran in your direction, screaming and flailing his arms, knocking you down in his haste to get away from another falling metal beam.</p><p>You’d landed on your arm wrong, but the adrenaline running through your body kept you moving as you stumbled to your feet and trailed after your friends. Behind you, another giant piece of the plate crashed into Selene’s apartment building with such force that the ground beneath your feet shook as the structure caved in on itself. You watched as people fled from their homes, as fires started and spread. You watched as people begged to be rescued, their limbs trapped under flaming metal and wood. You continued to stumble forwards even when rubble rained down upon you all like hellfire, crushing the unlucky many on the path ahead of you and blocking you off.</p><p>You wanted to cry… or maybe you were already crying. All around you, the plate continued to fall, blocking you off from any means of escape. Your ears rang from the magnitude of noises. Your arm had begun to ache from your fall. The flames consuming the houses rose in intensity, scorching your surroundings while you fought to maintain your balance. Trying, among the chaos, to find a way out of this impossible situation. But no. If you went one way or the other, you would be burned severely. Any other way would require you to pick through pieces of metal that were easily ten times your body weight.</p><p>Another explosion, this time coming from the direction of the pillar, sent you crashing to the floor from the force it left in its wake.</p><p><em>I hope you all made it out of here. </em>You prayed to the Planet that your friends had gotten out of Sector 7. Looking up towards the falling sky, you could only sob as it fell too fast for your liking. Resigned, you brought out your phone, intent on calling a certain red headed Turk one more time.</p><p>“Hey, Reno. It’s me, Y/N…” you dry swallowed and held back another sob, hand raising to muffle your cries of misery. “I just wanted you to know that I’m glad that I met you. I’m really annoyed that you didn’t kiss me yesterday night, and I-” the line on your phone beeped to signal a disconnect, and you pulled the phone away to stare hopelessly at the screen.</p><p>
  <em>
    <b>No signal.</b>
  </em>
</p><p>A bitter laugh escaped your lips as you bent forward, pressing your face to the cracked glass screen. A shadow swallowed your figure whole as the last of the plate fell down. “Reno…”</p><p>“I was really looking forward to our date.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Episode 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Continuation:</p><p>Reno's POV after the events of Episode 1<br/>Reader wakes up in a strange place</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">December 12</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">Reno {07:10}</p><p class="p3">[Good morning, sleeping beauty]</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p5">Me {08:30}</p><p class="p5">[Morning]</p><p class="p5">[Do you not need sleep?]</p><p class="p5">[You probably went to bed late last night]</p><p class="p5">[And while it truly does make my day to hear from you]</p><p class="p5">[Why? It’s so early ;.;]</p><p class="p6"> </p><p class="p3">Reno {08:40}</p><p class="p3">[Can you blame a guy for being eager to talk to you?]</p><p class="p3">[Lol, Sorry. I didn’t disturb you, did I?]</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p5">Me {08:59}</p><p class="p5">[&gt;///&lt;]</p><p class="p5">[No, you’re good. I gotta get up to get ready anyways.]</p><p class="p5">[Flatterer]</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3">Reno {09:34}</p><p class="p3">[I mean, can you blame me? ;) ]</p><p class="p3">[So, I was thinking about taking you on a date outside of Midgar, but I realized that I should probably get your opinion on it first]</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p5">Me {10:01}</p><p class="p5">[I mean, that depends? How early do I have to get up on my day off? And how long will it take to get there?]</p><p class="p6"> </p><p class="p3">Reno {10:05}</p><p class="p3">[Um… well, it’s getting pretty chilly in Midgar, so I was thinking about taking you to Costa del Sol… beach date :P]</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p5">Me {10:30}</p><p class="p5">[…]</p><p class="p5">[Costa del Sol is pretty far, Reno…]</p><p class="p6"> </p><p class="p3">Reno {10:31}</p><p class="p3">[And?]</p><p class="p3">[I’ve got a way]</p><p class="p3">[Don’t sweat the details]</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p5">Me {10:32}</p><p class="p5">[You’re taking a company helicopter, aren’t you-.-]</p><p class="p6"> </p><p class="p3">Reno {10:33}</p><p class="p3">[Ack! You’ve figured out my master plan!]</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p5">Me {10:34}</p><p class="p5">[Are Turks even allowed to take company assets out for joy rides?]</p><p class="p6"> </p><p class="p3">Reno {10:35}</p><p class="p3">[ TT^TT I told you not to sweat the details!]</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p5">Me {10:40}</p><p class="p5">[I just don’t want you to get into any trouble.]</p><p class="p6"> </p><p class="p3">Reno {10:50}</p><p class="p3">[Awww, don’t worry about me.]</p><p class="p3">[You have a party to attend later, so do me a favor and have fun, okay?]</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p5">Me {11:03}</p><p class="p5">[That reminds me…]</p><p class="p6"> </p><p class="p3">Reno {11:05}</p><p class="p3">[??]</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p5">Me {11:11}</p><p class="p5">[bluedress.jpg sent]</p><p class="p5">(<em>The image is of you in a sapphire blue dress, the sleeves long and neck high. The dress itself ends just below your knees)</em></p><p class="p5">[This dress?]</p><p class="p5">[reddress.jpg sent]</p><p class="p5">(<em>The second image is of you in a backless ruby dress that ends just above the knee. There are no sleeves to this dress despite the fact that it has a high neck)</em></p><p class="p5">[Or this dress?]</p><p class="p6"> </p><p class="p3">Reno {11:13}</p><p class="p3">[…]</p><p class="p3">[Y/N]</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p5">Me {11:15}</p><p class="p5">[Reno]</p><p class="p5">[???]</p><p class="p6"> </p><p class="p5">Me {12:01}</p><p class="p5">[If I don’t look good in either of them, just be honest ;.;]</p><p class="p6"> </p><p class="p3">Reno {13:05}</p><p class="p3">[Gah! Sorry, I got pulled away for something]</p><p class="p3">[The red one. For sure]</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p5">Me {13:06}</p><p class="p5">[Just because red’s your color… &gt;.&gt;]</p><p class="p5">[I hope you’re okay, Reno ;.;]</p><p class="p6"> </p><p class="p3">Reno {13:15}</p><p class="p3">[Hey, first of all, remember what I said about red being your color?]</p><p class="p3">[I don’t lie, k?]</p><p class="p3">[But also, yeah. Also because it’s my color, you should wear it ;)]</p><p class="p3">[Do you have a sixth sense or something?]</p><p class="p3">[image.jpg]</p><p class="p3">(<em>Opening up the image file gifts you with a selfie of Reno, looking minorly roughed up and being supported by an infrantryman. He looks like he’s by the old church that Aerith likes to visit. Despite needing to be supported by the infantryman, the red headed Turk’s winking and holding up a peace sign)</em></p><p class="p3">[Just a few minor bruises ;P I’ll be fine]</p><p class="p3">[Unless….]</p><p class="p3">[You want to kiss me better? ;)]</p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p5">Me {13:30}</p><p class="p5">[… Well. I’m sorry for worrying <span class="s1">(¬_¬) ]</span></p><p class="p7"> </p><p class="p8"> </p><p class="p9">Reno {13:45}</p><p class="p9">[Joking, joking! :D]</p><p class="p9">[All patched up]</p><p class="p10"> </p><p class="p9">Reno {14:07}</p><p class="p9">[Y/N?]</p><p class="p11"><span class="s2">(´</span> <span class="s3">༎</span> <span class="s4">ຶ</span> <span class="s3">ོ</span> <span class="s2">ρ</span> <span class="s3">༎</span> <span class="s4">ຶ</span> <span class="s3">ོ</span> <span class="s2">`) </span></p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">[I’m sorry.]</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">[Please talk to meeeeeee]</span>
</p><p class="p10"> </p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">Me {14:00}</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">[image.jpg]</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">(<em>It’s a picture of you in the red dress. Your hair is done up with an attractive amount of make up. You’re wearing a sensible set of black flats.</em>)</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">[The party starts in an hour, so I might be answering my phone too often.]</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">[And Costa del Sol sounds perfect for tomorrow ;) I’ve got my outfit all picked out]</span>
</p><p class="p8"> </p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">Reno {14:15}</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">[Uh, yeah, that’s gonna be your new contact photo]</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">[I’m picking you up earlier than we agreed so that we can have more time to relax in the sun]</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">[Duty calls. Have fun tonight, okay?]</span>
</p><p class="p10"> </p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">Me {14:20}</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">[And what? My contact photo for you is going to be this?]</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">[screenshot.jpg]</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">(<em>It’s a screenshot of your mobile phone screen. There’s an edit with a red arrow pointing directly at the photo icon for Reno’s contact…it’s the photo that he sent earlier except you’ve photoshopped cartoon ‘uwu’ eyes and added pink anime blush to his cheeks</em>)</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">[And don’t worry, I’ll probably have enough fun for the both of us.]</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">[We’ll have fun tomorrow, be safe, okay?]</span>
</p><p class="p8"> </p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">Reno {14:30}</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">[I’ll try ;) But if not, I’ll have you to take care of me.]</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">[Also? That picture?]</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">[P.E.R.F.E.C.T]</span>
</p><p class="p10"> </p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">Me {18:30}</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">[Hope you’re safe!]</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">[Message me after work to let me know you’re okay!]</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">[image-2.jpg]</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">(<em>It’s a group photo of you and your friends in silly poses</em>)</span>
</p><p class="p8"> </p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">Me {19:21}</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">[image-3.jpg]</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">(<em>It’s a close up shot of a delicious plate of food)</em></span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">[I should have brought you with me ;.;]</span>
</p><p class="p8"> </p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">|You called Reno| 20:58</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">[<b>Unable to leave voicemail</b>]</span>
</p><p class="p8"> </p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">December 13 - 08:21</span>
</p><p class="p10"> </p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">The morning after the confrontation with AVALANCHE at the Sector 7 Pillar, one would expect the medical bay in Shinra HQ to be jam packed full of patients. There should have been a horde of doctors and nurses, running around to treat the injured infantryman and civilian survivors. But there were only two individuals in the med bay, Reno and Rude. When the plate fell, only a handful of infantryman were able to escape the chaos. Many were left behind to fend for themselves.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">Despite surviving a helicopter crash and the brawl with Tifa, Barret, and Cloud, Rude only sustained a few bruises and minor bone fractures. He had been assigned bedrest after being treated by the doctors, but the weight of what he and his partner had been tasked to do twelve hours ago felt like an overwhelming burden. Needing something to keep his mind occupied, the taller of the iconic Turk duo simply engrossed himself in a novel that Elena had brought over during her visit. </span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">On the bed beside Rude’s, Reno groaned in pain as he sat up, eyes still not open and alert as he raised a hand to press against his pounding head. “Gah, what the hell.” Reno’s face stung at the cheeks when his face scrunched up at the pain that seemed to come from every part of him. Even the act of sitting up proved too painful due to his newly broken ribs.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">Rude watched his partner sink back into the sheets from his own medical bed, sunglasses on as was usual of him. He wondered how long it would take Reno to realize that it had been nearly twelve hours since they had dropped the plate. He also wondered when his sassy partner in crime would realize that he had a date this morning. Of course, Rude didn’t think you’d get angry at Reno for missing a date when he was hospitalized, but the taller of the iconic Turk pair knew that Reno would never forgive himself for skipping out on you.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">While Rude watched, Reno allowed his body to collapse back into bed, an exhausted and pained groan escaping his lips as he want, arms flopping onto the bed as he fought to remember what had happened to land him in such a pitiful state.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2"><em>Oh yeah…Rude and I went to Sector 7’s plate… and we fought blondie’s group of self righteous freedom fighters… and then…I blacked out. </em>Cracking both eyes open, Reno furrowed his brows and turned his head to examine his surroundings. <em>Med bay back at HQ…</em> The red head swiveled in place to stare at Rude, “The mission….” He trailed off with a questioning tone.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">His partner merely grunted, “We finished it and escaped.” Lacking in detail, but still straight to the point.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">Sighing in relief that his work track record wouldn’t have a stain on it, Reno flopped back down, “Whooo…” The red head cheered sarcastically, pumping a fist without any energy or cheer behind it. <em>Gah, and I promised Y/N that I’d be safe… </em>Reno’s eyes snapped open and he bolted to a seating position with an alarmed cry, “Crap! Y/N! What time is it?” <em>Shit, I gotta message her to let her know that I’m going to be running late! </em>The Turk second in command thought as he pat down his person for his cell phone. </span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">When he couldn’t find it, Reno turned to his partner, who gestured towards the bedside table. “It was damaged during our fight with AVALANCHE, but it should still be working.”</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">Not paying any attention to the fact that he was now bleeding through the bandages wrapped around his abdomen, Reno grinned, “Whooo boy! Partner, you’re a life saver!” </span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">The sheer amount of relief within Reno voice made Rude stop and stare at his partner. <em>Hmm… maybe Reno’s serious about her after all.</em></span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">Meanwhile, Reno quickly unlocked his phone screen, ignoring the fact that the glass display seemed shattered beyond repair. When he pulled up the chat room that he shared with Y/N, Reno cursed, “Five missed messages and one missed call.” Quickly reading through the text messages, and smiling at how much fun you were having at the party, Reno tapped out a quick message in reply to you before listening to the voicemail that you had left.</span>
</p><p class="p10"> </p><p class="p13">
  <span class="s2">Yesterday</span>
</p><p class="p14"> </p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">Y/N {19:21}</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">[image-3.jpg]</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">(<em>Reno’s mouth watered at the sight of the food in the picture)</em></span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">[I should have brought you with me ;.;]</span>
</p><p class="p10"> </p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">|Missed call from Y/N| 20:58</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">[<b>Click to listen to voicemail</b>]</span>
</p><p class="p10"> </p><p class="p13">
  <span class="s2">Today - December 13</span>
</p><p class="p10"> </p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">Me {08:43}</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">[Gah, sorry Y/N, I may have bit off more than I could chew yesterday.]</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">[I just woke up in the med bay at HQ]</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">[I’m going to be a little late picking you up]</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">[And I’m a little roughed up]</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">[But nothing is stopping me from taking you on our date!]</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">[See you in an hour?]</span>
</p><p class="p8"> </p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">When Reno lifted his damaged cell phone to listen to the voicemail that you had left him, the only sound that reached his ears was an error notification that the voice recording app had failed. “I’m sorry, but the voicemail recording that you wish to listen to failed to load properly. Please quite all applications before trying again. If the problem still persists, please contact Shinra Mobile’s technical support service to resolve this issue.” The phone recording informed Reno, pleasantly.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">Knowing from experience that getting through to technical support at the current hour was next to impossible, Reno merely tapped out another message.</span>
</p><p class="p10"> </p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">Me {08:47}</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">[Hey, the voicemail that you sent to me didn’t go through.]</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">[What was it about?]</span>
</p><p class="p8"> </p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">Satisfied with the messages that he’d sent out, Reno shifted to get out of bed, an excited grin on his lips. “Welp! Time to get going! Got a wonderful day off with a gorgeous gal!”</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">Sighing, Rude lowered the novel to look in his partner’s direction. “Your date with Y/N?” When Reno only gave a sassy shrug in reply, Rude shook his head, “Just remember, you’re still injured.”</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">“Will do, partner!” Reno saluted the older man before dashing out of the med bay, dodging the nurses swiftly as he made his way to the elevators, itching to get back to the Turk dorms to change into something that would help him blend into the slum crowds of Sector 5. On his way to his room, the red headed Turk would raise his phone to check for any new messages, lowering it in disappointment every time there was no response.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">“That’s weird, normally she responds by now.” Reno mused, sending out another quick text once he’d changed into dark jeans, a red hoodie, and a dark beige trucker jacket.</span>
</p><p class="p10"> </p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">Me {09:12}</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">[I’m on my way to your place now.]</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">[Are you awake?]</span>
</p><p class="p8"> </p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">Around twenty minutes later, on the helicopter ride down to the Sector 5 slums, Reno furrowed his brows and bit the inside of his lip when you didn’t respond again.</span>
</p><p class="p10"> </p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">Me {09:32}</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">[Y/N?]</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">[Please answer.]</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">[I’m on a helicopter down now]</span>
</p><p class="p12">
  <span class="s2">[Message back. I’m getting worried.]</span>
</p><p class="p8"> </p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">When there is still no response, Reno taps on your contact and brings the phone up to his ear, trying to call you.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">“Hey, this is Y/N. I’m probably away from the phone right now, so leave a message, and I’ll call you back as soon as possible.”</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">Straight to voicemail.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">Something wasn’t right, and Reno could feel it in his bones.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">When the helicopter started to land in the Shinra barracks, Reno didn’t even wait for the helicopter to fully land before jumping out of the aerial vehicle, landing solidly before taking off in a sprint towards your apartment. </span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2"> <em>She’s not answer any of the text messages… Did she lose her phone last night? Did she accidentally break it?… Did she find out what I did yesterday? Is she ignoring me?</em> </span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">The worries and thoughts that raced through Reno’s mind became more and more self-deprecating as he neared entered the main town area and brushed past the crowds of people gathered in the streets. <em>I know I said it was too late to grow a conscious, but damn it, please don’t let this be the reason she decides that she doesn’t want me around.</em></span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">All but flying up the metal steps to your apartment, Reno starts to bang on your front door, calling your name in the meanwhile. “Y/N!” <em>Bang bang bang</em> “It’s Reno!” <em>Bang bang bang </em>“You weren’t answering your phone. Are you ready to go?” It took another few minutes of knocking before Reno head a door open below and slow footsteps ascend the metal stairwell.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">Turning and expecting to see you standing there, Reno’s shoulders visibly slumped when he came face to face with a tiny old lady. “Oh, uh. Sorry for causing a disturbance.”</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">“Are you looking for Y/N, young man?” The old woman inquired, tilting her head to look up at Reno through friendly old eyes.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">Feeling as if he was being judged by the elderly woman, Reno stood ramrod straight and nodded, clearing his throat, “Uh, yeah. We had plans for today.”</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">The old woman nodded sagely, “I see, I see. Ah, to be young again. I’m sorry to disappoint you, young man, but Y/N hasn’t been home since yesterday afternoon. I think she’s still at her friend’s home.”</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">The first traces of alarm flashed through Reno’s head, and suddenly his Turk persona was back, “Do you happen to know where her friend lives, ma’am?”</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">The old woman shook her head, “I only know that dear Selene doesn’t live in Sector 5. I’m sorry, young man.”</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">Suddenly jittery, Reno only nods and descends the metal staircase again, “Thanks for the help. I should get going.”</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">Reno doesn’t hear the old woman’s reply because he’s sprinting back towards the Shinra barracks, ears ringing and vision narrowed as he contacts a friend in Shinra’s tech department for help tracking down your cell phone’s location and retrieving the voicemail you’d left him. And while his friend works on it, Reno decided to change into a clean set of his uniform, mind suddenly kicked into overdrive as he tries to recall where you said your friend’s party was.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2"><em>Gah, Reno… you pay attention to everything else she says, but you can’t figure out where her friend Selene lives? Some Turk you are! </em>Reno scolds himself as he paces back and forth in Y/N’s office, somehow trying to find comfort in familiar surroundings. <em>Damnit, think! What has she mentioned in the past about her friends. I only remember her talking about living in Sector 7 for a whi-</em> Reno pauses in his steps as dread begins to pool in his stomach. “No.” He doesn’t want to entertain the possibility that you had gone to a party at your childhood sector the same night that he was tasked with dropping the plate on top of hundreds. But the more that Reno thinks about it, the more likely the possibility is, and he sinks to his knees in the middle of your office, eyes wide with horror and denial. “No… I refuse to believe it. Gotta wait for-” </span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">His phone chimes with a notification.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">Pulling out his phone as fast as possible without fumbling the already hazardously damaged device, Reno unlocks the screen, only to see that a voice file had been sent to him along with tracking coordinates.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">Clicking on the voicemail and tracker, Reno’s frown deepens and his face pales as he stares at the map of Sector 7 Slums with a red dot in the center of it, the sounds of your final message to him playing in the background.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2"> <em>No.</em> </span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">The voice recording loops until Reno regains his bearings, body shaking and eyes burning as his ears pick up the sounds of explosions in the background, of your sobs as you fought to leave a last message for the man who had thoughtlessly killed you, and of your fear and acceptance that you wouldn’t live past that moment. The phone slips from his hands and clatters to the floor as Reno’s fingers go slack. “No… I didn’t… Y/N…” A strangled sob escapes Reno’s lips as he raises a hand to grip onto his hair, trying to maintain his composure, “I didn’t mean to… If I’d known, I would have…” The Turk second in command paused and hunched in on himself, not caring if anyone could see him through the glass walls of your office. </span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2"> <em>M-maybe she left her phone behind when she ran? But… if she’s not there, then where would she have gone if not home?</em> </span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">There weren’t any excuses or any other reason he could come up with. Reno knew that. If he had known beforehand that you would be in Sector 7 Slums, he would have warned you, but you would have tried to evacuate as many people as possible from that sector, and AVALANCHE might have managed to leave, therefore ending in a failed mission. He would have done everything he could to make sure you stayed away from Sector 7, but in the end, he’d still go through with the mission.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">“I killed her.” Reno sobbed in realization, biting his bottom lip so hard that he tasted copper, “Just like I killed all those people.” Shaking his head, inconsolable, Reno could only mourn quietly. “I’m just the worst. This is karma for all the shit things I did in life, isn’t it?”</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">Eyes dulled and slightly puffy, Reno hastily wiped at his face and sat down with his back against your desk, his phone ringing with notifications as Tseng and Rude sent him requests for ‘status’ updates. And the Turk second in command ignored his colleagues, eyes staring into nothingness as he wreaked his brain for what to do next.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2"><em>I really was looking forward to the date.</em> Reno’s thoughts trailed off, <em>It’s sappy as hell, but I wanted to ask her to be my girlfriend. Tseng said that relationships for Turks never ended well, citing Veld as an example, but… gah! This is the worst situation for Tseng to be right!</em></span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">It was only the early afternoon… maybe he could start a search party for survivors… it was probably too late, but Reno knew that he had to do something to look for you. With renewed purpose, Reno got to his feet and marched out of your office, blue eyes burning with fiery determination as he hung onto the faint hope that you might have survived.</span>
</p><p class="p10"> </p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">December 13 - 12:13</span>
</p><p class="p10"> </p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">You groaned in pain and shifted your body, eyes cracking open to be met with blinding industrial lights. The pain from the glaring lights startled you into closing your eyes again, turning until your body was facing away from them. For a moment, you wondered why you were laying on some sort of weird metallic floor instead of your soft bed, and then the memories of a falling sky sent your eyes flying back open as you took in your surroundings.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">The floor was indeed cold and metallic because it looked as if you’d woken up in a maintenance passage. Despite most maintenance passages usually being dimly lit, the one you found yourself lying in was lit from both of the walls. The ceiling above your face had a hole in it, though it was covered with metal and concrete chunks. You assumed, as you clambered to your feet, that you’d fallen through that hole and rolled a few feet away due to the pile of rubble directly beneath the hole. Wincing slightly, you poked and prodded your person for bruises, broken bones, or fractures. Slightly satisfied with just a few small skin lesions, bruises, and maybe a fractured rib, you patted yourself down for your mobile phone, hoping to call for help. Frowning, you found that you did not have your cell phone on you, nor was it anywhere on the floor near you.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">Since you hadn’t expected to live through a plate falling on top of you, you could only look on the bright side of things, turning to walk down the metal tunnel with determination set on your face. <em>I didn’t almost die from a plate falling just to give up in an empty tunnel. Plus, </em>a fond smile appeared on your face, <em>I have a date waiting for me when I get back topside.</em></span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">It seemed pretty simple to you. You’d falling who knows how far down, but you knew for sure that the way out was up. So the only thing to do was to keep walking until you found a passage up. Easy peasy.</span>
</p><p class="p10"> </p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">December 13 - 15:35</span>
</p><p class="p10"> </p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">There’s a fierce snarl on Reno’s face as he stands by several parked helicopters. All around him, emergency responders and Shinra infantrymen scrambled to load up supplies and equipment. The dark look on the normally sassy, easy-going Turk’s face seemed like a literal beacon for anyone not bearing good news to stay the away. Though, if some of the troops were to be honest, Reno had very good reason to be irate. The Turk second in command had called in an emergency rescue operation for survivors trapped among the plate wreckage nearly three and a half hours ago, and they were only just beginning to start the rescue operation.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">After Tseng, the Turk commander, had authorized the mission to rescue anyone buried under the rubble, the mission had quickly been side-tracked by Shinra executives Scarlet and Heideggar. Scarlet had protested against the operation simply because of the notion that dogs living in the slums were of no use to Shinra, and therefore, the mission was a waste of resources. Heideggar, meanwhile, had agreed that while in times of disaster, Shinra’s army bore the responsibility of launching operations to rescue civilians affected, the members of AVALANCHE were widely unknown and could easily disguise themselves as regular civilians.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">It took nearly two hours of careful negotiations and subtle ego inflating by Tseng and Reeve, before both executives agreed to support the relief effort. Viewing it as a strategic move to improve public opinion of the Shinra Company, President Shinra gave little to no resistance when Tseng forwarded the mission brief to be sanctioned. </span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">Now, an hour after the mission was sanctioned, Reno felt the beginnings of a headache forming as he directed the flow of supplies to each helicopter before making sure that there were rotations of supplies and emergency responders that would journey to and from the wreckage of Sector 7 once he landed with the first round of helicopters.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">When he had deemed all in good order to head out, Reno sighed and hopped into the helicopter cockpit, buckling himself in to the pilot’s seat. Plopping the headset on while he waited for the rest of the crew to load up into the helicopter, Reno busied himself with flipping switches to make sure that pre-flight and the ride down to Sector 7 would be as smooth as possible. When his co-pilot buckled himself in and gave Reno the thumbs up, the red headed Turk spoke as clearly and seriously as he could into the mic. “Alright guys and gals in all active units, hope you’re all buckled up with headsets on because I sure as hell will not be repeating this briefing.” After a brief pause, Reno continued to speak while directing the helicopter off the platform. “You all probably heard about what happened yesterday. The official reports from HQ state that AVALANCHE launched an attack to compromise Sector 7’s plate pillar. Despite all efforts directed to stop the terrorist attack, the plate still fell. Our job is to go down to the disaster zone to provide relief to all affected civilians. We will also be launching search and rescue operations for survivors.” Reno paused once more as helicopter gained enough air to safely fly out of the landing zone. “I’m gonna be real with you all. Someone important to me was in Sector 7’s Slums when the plate fell and I’m going to try my damnest to look for her. So if any of you fuck this up… not gonna lie, I’m gonna be pissed.” Nobody replied to Reno’s admittance… not that he really expected much of a reply after he dropped that bomb on them. Having enough of the silence, Reno exhaled, “Alright… good talk.”</span>
</p><p class="p10"> </p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">December 13 - 16:03</span>
</p><p class="p10"> </p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">It wasn’t easy peasy. Definitely fucking not.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">The chrome walkways and exposed piping-lined maintenance passage that you had fallen into hadn’t been a simple few meters under the surface as you thought. No. It’s was more like several meters down with a layer of minor blocked off passageways right above. And, as if that weren’t terrible already? The maze of pathways that made up the layer above seemed to take joy in bringing you up a level, just to drop you back down a level because some asshole decided to seal off the passages at various points.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">Your eye twitched in annoyance when you walked down a metal walkway only to be face to face with another fenced off passage lined with reinforced plating. To your surprise, you could see a man stumble around the corner of the opposite side. When you saw one another, your eyes widened. “Holy shit!” The man gasped, stumbling forward with a noticeable limp and sliced up arm. “I didn’t think there’d be another person down here!”</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">“This place is like a maze, so I’m not surprised that any survivors had yet to meet up. A-are… are you okay?” The blood leaking from the deep scratches in his left arm seemed to ooze a poisonous purple color.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">The stranger bit his bottom lip as he hastily hid his injury, “Yeah… I’ll be fine. Listen, girl, you should watch out while down here. I think the rumors about the underground lab were true after all. There are monsters running around everywhere.” Your expression must have been one of utter dismay and despair because the man coughed and reached into his pocket to roll two materia under the fence. “Uh. Shit. Well, it looks like you could use these then. It’s a Cura and a Fira. Hopefully you won’t need it, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Anyways, I hope you make it out of here, girl. I gotta keep looking for other AVALANCHE survivors.”</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">When the man made to jog away, you called out to him, “Wait! You said that you’re looking for AVALANCHE members? Are you one of them? Do you know what happened?” You pressed yourself against the fence in order to see the stranger from around the corner.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">The stranger turned around to stare at you with a grim expression. “Whatever you’re thinking, AVALANCHE didn’t cause this, okay? We were framed by Shinra.” At your confused expression, the man scoffed, “C’mon, you really think that Shinra was going to let civilians protest and riot against them? They couldn’t figure out who was a member and who wasn’t, so they figured they’d drop the entire plate on top of us to get rid of us all.”</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">“But that’s such a drastic move!” You protested, wanting to believe that your employers wouldn’t have such blatant disregard for human life. “They wouldn’t just sacrifice thousands to eliminate AVALANCHE!”</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">“Believe what you want, girl. But the reality is that my friends and I all went to the pillar to stop Shinra from dropping the plate, and it dropped anyways because two Turks were sent to finish the job.” The stranger didn’t allow you to retort as he limped away. Not that you would have responded anyways with how the stranger had said that two Turks had arrived to help ensure that the Sector 7 plate dropped.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">Pulling away from the fence, you knelt down to pick up the two orbs of materia, the color of your skin taking on a sickly pale pallor. <em>Two Turks were sent to the pillar to drop the plate on top of all of us.</em> Your mind instantly supplied the first Turk pair that you could think of and you felt like you were going to dry heave. <em>I don’t know Rude too well, but from what I know, he and Reno wouldn’t do something so horrendous. </em>Surely, there must have been another pair of Turks who were sent to do it. But you did work in a different department as them, how did you know that there were more members of the Turks? And with Reno’s position within the group… <em>He could have known what was happening… </em></span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">You told Reno that you would be hanging out with your best friend… that you guys were having a party. He’s smart enough to deduce that your friends still lived in Sector 7… <em>Did he forget? Or…</em> Your stomach churned violently as you sank to your knees on the cold metal walkway. <em>Did Reno just decide he didn’t care if I survived or not?</em></span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">The edge of your vision burned with tears threatening to spill down your cheeks. A simple blink sent them trailing down your cheeks as you stood upon shaky legs. “Can’t worry about that now.” You muttered, eyes filled with determination as you gathered the excess fabric of your dress to gird up your loins. “I need to find a way out of here. The tunnels might not be able to hold for long.”</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">Lifting your arm, you pressed one of the materia into your forearm, like you’d seen a few SOLDIERs do before, marveling at how the orb of power sank into the flesh of your arm. Smiling at how seamless it was to merge flesh with Materia, you pressed the other faintly glowing orb into your other forearm, concentrating for a bit before casting Cura upon yourself.</span>
</p><p class="p9">
  <span class="s2">Newly rejuvenated, you back tracked through the metal corridor to find the ladder leading down. “Welp, there’s no time like the present,” you mumbled to yourself as you descended further into the tunnels below.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>In the middle of writing the next part. Hopefully, I'll have it posted within the month.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I have more ideas for this fic, so I may do a part two like I did with Ephemeral and Eternal.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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